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Understand The Cost Involved In Doing A Knee Replacement Surgery

Knee replacement surgery has become a safe and popular option for patients who are in their end-stage of arthritis. Knee replacement helps one to lead a pain-free and an active life and is the best solution when all the other treatments have failed. However, the knee replacement surgery cost is expensive and many times the cost deters patients from going for this option.

Factors that affect the cost of knee replacement

If the patient opts for the best knee replacement surgeon in Mumbai then she/he will have to pay extra because of the higher fees. There are other reasons too that can escalate the cost of the surgery like the choice of implant and the hospital charges.

As per the condition, the doctor may either suggest a unilateral knee or both knee replacements. A bilateral replacement of the knee can be carried out in a single sitting or if the patients’ health and condition do not support, the doctor may advise it to be done separately. In such a case the patient will have to be admitted twice which will increase his overall expenditure.

It is important that the patient gets detailed information and only then book the surgery packages online. The patient should be aware of the pre and the post-operative costs and also the cost of medication and physiotherapy.

Major costs involved in knee replacement surgery

Pre-operation costs

A knee replacement surgery is like any other major surgery and thus all the necessary precautions need to be taken so that it is successful. The patient will have to go through all the pre-operative investigation for knee replacement like:

Physical examination

Urine test

MRI

X-Ray

Blood sugar test

Liver function test

BMD test-bone mineral density

Blood test to check the total blood count

Coagulation test

Heart rhythm test

Baseline metabolic analysis of the electrolyte status and kidneys

All the tests may not be mandatory for every patient. However, some patients may also be advised to go for additional tests based on their medical history.

Dental evaluation

Any dental infection needs to be treated before the surgery because it may cause infections due to the bacteria that enter the teeth and gums through the blood stream.

Medication

There may be a need to adjust the prescription medication and thus the doctor may prescribe new drugs so that the surgery is smooth.

Surgery cost for knee replacement

The knee replacement surgery cost includes the following:

Implant cost

Surgery consumables

Medicines for anesthesia

Blood transfusion, if required

Operation theatre charges

Surgeon fee

Anesthesiologist fee

Assistant’s fee

Post-surgery costs

The patient will have to stay in the hospital for 4-5 days post-surgery. The patient is provided with rehabilitation like movement with the help of a trained physiotherapist and pain relief medications. The costs that are incurred during this period include:

Pain relief medication

Rehabilitation and physiotherapy

Cost of crutch and consumables

Post-surgery hospitalisation cost

Conclusion

Knee replacement surgery is expensive and there may be some variation in charges because of the doctor’s expertise, choice of implant, if the patient opts for any in-patient services, any incidental costs and the hospital type.

The other costs that one needs to be prepared for are the post-surgery physiotherapy cost which may even go up to 6 to 12 weeks for most patients. The patient will also need to take into account the follow up visits to the surgeon. The loss in income of the patient if he/she is salaried also needs to be added to the cost of doing a knee replacement surgery.